Warne’s radical plans to help bowlers in saliva-free cricket

Spin king Shane Warne says banning bowlers using saliva to shine the ball could swing cricket in favour of batsmen and make the game less competitive.

Warne said if the International Cricket Council enforced the ban, attention needed to be given as to how to keep it a fair competition between bat and ball.

Warne, who is on the Marylebone Cricket Club's world cricket committee which can propose changes to the sport's laws, suggested a range of ideas could be considered including reducing the number of overs between new balls, using a weighted ball, or leaving more grass on the pitch so the ball seamed more.

"If we have a ball that does not do anything, batting is going to become a lot easier," Warne said, while launching a new hair loss advice website (www.hairloss.com.au) for Advanced Hair Studio.

Shane Warne is concerned banning saliva to shine balls may compromise a fair battle between bat and ball.

"Maybe they could look at bringing forward the new ball from 80 overs to maybe 60 overs or 50 overs.

"I threw out there maybe we could have a weighted ball on one side, like the old taped tennis balls, so you don't have to use saliva.

"If you can't polish up the ball maybe they are going to leave more grass on the pitch which will mean the ball will seam more.

"All we want to see in any sport is a competition. We want to see it fair. For me, to have it fair between bat and ball is a priority. How they are going to do that, I don't know.

"I would think the bat is going to dominate if you are not allowed to polish the ball up."

The ICC heard medical advice earlier this month that suggests it is highly unlikely coronavirus can be transmitted through sweat, but there is an elevated risk through saliva.